Arsenal loanee now following path of £72m star as he scores on debut for new club

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Arsenal striker Mika Biereth was recalled from an outstanding loan spell at Motherwell to join Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Biereth provided 11 goals and assists in the first half of the season for the Scottish Premiership side, and his recall left his loan side disappointed as he had become a key player.

He has now gone from a mid-table side in Scotland to a title-contending team in Austria, with Sturm Graz just two points behind RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Arsenal clearly felt that his development would be better served by playing at a higher level, despite fears that disrupting his excellent form could be a bad move. However, he has settled instantly at his new club.

Arsenal loanee Mika Biereth scores on Sturm Graz debut

Sturm Graz were playing a mid-season friendly game against Ukrainian side SC-Dnipro 1 in Turkey, whilst their league games are paused for the winter break.

Biereth was included in the starting XI, and scored as his side came away with a 2-1 victory. He was in the right place at the right time in the box to guide a finish into the bottom corner after a cross from the left-hand side.

Although this was merely a friendly encounter, with Sturm Graz set to resume their league campaign on Tuesday, there is plenty of encouragement to be taken. Biereth was an instant starter, and his goal will only have served him well in trying to impress his new teammates and manager.

Mika Biereth is following the path of Rasmus Hojlund

Sturm Graz is an interesting choice of club for the 20-year-old. It is the same club that Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund joined on loan from FC Copenhagen in the second half of the 2021-22 season.

Biereth, also a Danish forward, had an outstanding goal record at youth level, and is now attempting to translate that to the senior game.

Hojlund was successful at Sturm Graz, scoring 12 and assisting four times in 21 appearances. This earned him a move to Atalanta, which eventually earned him a £72m move to Man United.

Should Biereth find similar levels of success this season, it will create an interesting scenario for Mikel Arteta in the summer. A big offer could be tempting, but given that all signs point towards Biereth exploding in front of goal, he could start progressing into a potential first-team option in the long term.